Half Breed's Curse
by Rose Thorne
Summary: The Tantei are called on a new mission that could mean saving the three worlds from apocalypse. Chapter 4 up: 7.12.08. Probably no romance.
1. Chapter One

Half-Breed's Curse

by Rose Thorne

~Standard Disclaimers Apply~

* * *

Chapter One  
The Tantei sat outside of Koenma's office, waiting impatiently. Botan had gathered them for what she had called 'an urgent mission', yet they'd been waiting for nearly half an hour for their boss to call them in to give them information on it. Kurama was very glad that he'd thought to bring a book with his gear. The others weren't as lucky. Yuusuke was trying unsuccessfully to sleep, Kuwabara seemed to be lost in thought, and Hiei was leaning against the wall, looking rather annoyed.

Kurama looked up from his book and frowned as Hiei fidgeted slightly. It was very unlike the youkai to show any sign of emotion, let alone the unease that he was oozing. "Hiei, are you okay?"

His concern earned him an annoyed glower and a snapped, "Mind your own business, stupid fox!"

The redhead sighed. Whatever was bothering Hiei would come out in time if it was important. He could trust the fire demon to take care of his own problems, for the most part. If it had been Yuusuke or Kuwabara, he would have been much more concerned. He sighed again as their unofficial leader started complaining.

Yuusuke scowled. "He's got a lot of nerve. Waking us up at this ungodly hour-"

"It's noon, Yuusuke," Kurama quietly interjected.

The teen continued as if he hadn't spoken, "-and having Botan give us that horrible ride to the Reikai-"

"It wasn't that bad, Urameshi," Kuwabara commented, watching Botan's face flush in annoyance.

"-and he's having fun while we're-"

"Forced to listen to your stupidity? Would you shut up, you idiotic human? It's bad enough that he's being his typical self without having to listen to your petty whining." They stared at Hiei, who snorted and went back to leaning against the wall as if he hadn't just chewed Yuusuke out.

Yuusuke whistled, seemingly unconcerned. "Well, look who woke up on the wrong side of the tree branch today."

"Fuck off."

"Hiei . . . That's not very nice," Botan ventured.

The fire demon sneered at her. "And since when have I been 'nice', ditz?"

Kurama winced as Botan cringed and retreated. Hiei was certainly in a bad mood--the worst he'd ever had the displeasure of seeing. Never had the fire demon had an outburst like the one he was having. "Just be patient. I'm sure Koenma will call us in soon if the mission is urgent. Yuusuke, Kuwabara . . . I brought some cards. Would you like them?" He pulled the deck from his pocket.

Yuusuke stretched. "Sure. Better than listening to Mister PMS have a temper tantrum." He yelped as a deck of cards traveling at a rather high velocity hit him square in the forehead.

Hiei leaned back against the wall, ignoring the shocked looks he was getting. "Hn."

Yuusuke sat up and rubbed his forehead, and he and Kurama exchanged a look. Something was definitely bothering Hiei, and it was becoming obvious that his attitude could affect whatever mission Koenma sent them on, something that would clearly have to be discussed when their boss saw fit to call them in.

Kurama went back to reading as Yuusuke and Kuwabara busied themselves playing poker with the change in their pockets as the ante. The fox kept a concerned eye on Hiei, who continued to fidget slightly as if he were nervous. The redhead nearly sighed in relief as George opened the door and ushered them in.

"Took you long enough, Koenma-chan," Yuusuke drawled. "And here I thought this mission was important."

Koenma glared at Yuusuke as best he could. "I was taking a call from my father. Last time I put him on hold . . . Well, we're not going to go into that. We don't have time."

"So what do you need us to do?"

The demi-god sighed. "There's been a report from one of our oni spies that someone is building some sort of device in the Aganth forest in the Makai. It's rumored that it will have the power to suck the ki from all youkai in a thousand mile radius, giving whoever controls it an unlimited amount of power because youkai regenerate ki."

Kurama frowned. "Who's building it?"

Koenma shook his head. "We don't know. Our spy was killed before he could pass that information to us. All our other spies in that area haven't been heard from." He sighed. "This is important. We need to stop whoever's doing this. I don't want him captured. I want proof that he or she is dead, and I want the tower and any plans for it destroyed."

A worried look passed over Kuwabara's face. "How long do we have before the tower is complete?"

"A week, at most."

Hiei scowled. "I'm not going."

Koenma glared at him. "Yes, you are. We need everyone on this mission. If you fail, it could mean the apocalypse, or worse."

The fire demon matched his glare. "I don't give a shit. I'm not going. You know exactly why, you asshole. You've read my file." The statement piqued Kurama's curiosity, and it was obvious that he wasn't the only one wondering about it, judging from the looks on Kuwabara, Yuusuke, and Botan's faces.

"I don't care, Hiei. You're going."

"I'd like to see you make me, infant," Hiei hissed.

Koenma's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Kurama could practically feel the room grow colder. "If you don't go, I'll throw you in the Reikai prison with the general population until the mission's complete."

Whatever deeper meaning the threat held worked wonders--too well, Kurama thought as the blood drained from Hiei's face. "You wouldn't."

"Try me." A short glaring contest ensued, which Hiei lost--unsurprisingly, as Koenma's threat seemed to have taken the wind from his sails. "Well, that's settled. Botan will be going with you. Good luck."

George ushered them out, and Kurama and Yuusuke exchanged a silent conversation. There was definitely something wrong with Hiei, and they had no idea what it was.

And it wasn't likely that Hiei was going to tell them either. The only thing they could do was watch and wait.

* * *

Yeah. First chapter of a new fic. Joy. My first attempt at action adventure. I don't know whether or not this will have shonen ai pairings. I'm still thinking about it. On the one hand, pairings add to the emotion of the story. On the other hand, they take away from the action. I mean, we all saw where Doomsday Picnic went, with Hiei getting hurt all the time so Kurama could fawn over him. So I dunno if I want this fic to be shonen ai for that reason. I'll think about it.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter as I take a brief break from my schoolwork and other fanfiction. The mystery will reveal itself in time. Be patient.

I'd like to thank Mina Lightstar, for her input and C&C.


	2. Chapter Two

Half-Breed's Curse

by Rose Thorne

Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Studio Perriot, Shonen Jump, et al. I do not acknowledge FUNimation with anything but the destruction of the series.

* * *

Chapter Two  
Kurama carefully went through his seeds, weaving quite a few of them in his hair for the coming mission. The rest he tucked into the pocket of the daypack he was bringing. He had just harvested these seeds from the garden the week before, so he was well-stocked. If he needed any more, he would have to gather them along the way. Considering that they were going to the Aganth forest, that would not be much of a problem. He would be in his element.

They had been given a bit of time to gather the gear they would need, which reflected on the importance of the mission. They usually started on the mission straight from the debriefing, but Koenma wanted them as prepared as possible, so he had given them one hour. If they failed this, there would be no second chance.

Yuusuke and Kuwabara didn't really need much preparation since they used rei weapons, but they had disappeared anyway, grumbling something about "decent food" as they'd hurried off. Kurama assumed they were going grocery shopping for the mission, a thought that made him roll his eyes in amused exasperation. He could only hope that the two would remember that they would be without access to the luxuries that were necessary to prepare human foods.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark figure slip through the bedroom window. "Hello, Hiei." He wondered if his comrade was in a better mood than he had been before.

"Hn."

Kurama sighed; if anything, Hiei looked more annoyed than he had earlier. "Did you need something, or is this a social call?" He couldn't resist the tempting opportunity to tease the demon, though he knew it would not be appreciated.

Hiei scowled at him. "I don't do 'social calls'. I need a bag."

Kurama raised an eyebrow. "You would normally just steal one. Why are you asking me?"

The fire demon's face twitched slightly, his jaw clenching in anger. "Koenma."

The redhead's eyebrows shot up, but he didn't press for information. Obviously, the godling had discovered that Hiei was putting his thieving skills to good use in the Ningenkai. Kurama wasn't sure how Koenma expected Hiei to survive without stealing in a currency-based world. He sighed. "There's a black one on the top shelf of my closet." He watched his friend retrieve it. "You've never carried a bag on our missions before," he noted. "Why are you using one now?"

Hiei didn't look at him. "None of your business."

Kurama frowned. "That depends on whether it will end up affecting the mission."

The fire demon stiffened, then slowly turned and glowered at the fox. "There's a _reason_ I don't want to go on this mission. I'm not shirking my responsibilities." Hiei turned toward the window.

"Hiei..." His friend stopped, not turning. "What's wrong?

He turned his face slightly, looking at Kurama peripherally. "You'll find out soon enough. There's no way I'll be able to hide it, Kurama."

The redhead frowned at the flat, defeated tone of the fire demon's voice. "What-?" Hiei disappeared through the window before he could finish his question. Kurama sighed, glancing at his clock. "See you in twenty minutes." He winced. That meant he had twenty minutes to spin a lie for his mother about his absence. He quickly finished packing his bag, spinning a yarn as he did, then headed off to talk to Shiori.

* * *

Kurama hurried toward Yuusuke and Kuwabara, who were arguing over a daypack. "What's going on?"

Yuusuke scowled. "Kuwabara brought a whole pack filled with junk food. I'm trying to tell him that he can't bring it, but he won't listen."

There was a displacement of air, and the pack in question disappeared. "We don't have time for this, idiots. The wrappers would give away the fact that we're coming." Hiei was standing on a high branch, the daypack dangling from his hand. He lashed it securely to a branch. "We'll retrieve it when we return."

Kuwabara scowled as he jumped down. "I was only trying to make things easier for us!"

Hiei glowered. "And you failed miserably. Nothing new there."

Kuwabara opened his mouth to reply, but Kurama smoothly intercepted whatever comment he had planned on making. "We don't have time for arguing, you two. Hiei, please cooperate so we can get this mission finished as soon as possible."

"Hn."

Kurama glanced at Yuusuke. "Are we ready?"

He shrugged. "We're waiting for Botan. She's supposed to be coming with us." The statement incited a scowl from Hiei. "I wonder where she is?"

Hiei snorted. "Typical. Women are always late."

"Hiei-chan, that's mean!" Hiei nearly jumped from the tree as Botan appeared on a branch suddenly. She was dressed appropriately for hiking, thankfully. She grinned at them. "Are we ready to go?"

Hiei scowled and muttered something under his breath, but they ignored him. Kurama smiled at the ferry girl. "We're ready, Botan."

The girl jumped down from the tree. "Okay, then. Let's go!" She led the way through the gate, the others following.

* * *

Kurama sighed and wiped sweat from his forehead as they trekked through the dense undergrowth, grateful that his control over plants aided him in getting through. The others weren't so lucky, and they'd had to struggle through several very dense areas several times. Botan and Hiei had not had to deal with this, as Hiei stuck to the trees and Botan had chosen to ride her oar. They'd been traveling practically nonstop since they had left the Ningenkai hours before, despite the humidity. They had stopped only for a bit to eat a light meal. Hiei hadn't bothered to come down from the trees even then.

They were keeping off paths because of Hiei's insistence. The fire demon had made it very clear that they needed the element of surprise, and that all the paths going into the Aganth forest would be watched and heavily guarded. His lecture, of course, had been obvious to Kurama. Yuusuke had understood as well. Kuwabara, on the other hand, was still angry over the daypack of junk food. He'd spent the entire morning making comments directed at Hiei until Kurama had finally asked him to be quiet.

It was nearing dusk when Hiei finally jumped down from the tree. "We'll camp here," he said, his soft voice indicating that there was no room for argument. There were none anyway. They had all been rather worn out by the full afternoon of hiking.

The fire demon disappeared, and Kurama had Kuwabara get to work finding firewood while he and Yuusuke prepared the campsite. Hiei reappeared as they were finishing, carrying the carcasses of several rabbit-like animals. He threw them down near the firewood then hopped into a tree.

Kurama glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow. Hiei nearly always ended up starting the campfire. Granted, he usually did it after watching Kuwabara try to start it manually, but he had assumed that the fire demon would volunteer rather than deal with Kuwabara tonight.

Hiei noticed his gaze and glowered back. The fox sighed. The sanjiyan definitely had something that was bothering him, and he knew they would find out what it was when the time came. Something that had Hiei so upset would definitely end up affecting them as well. He decided to ignore it until it became a definite problem.

Kurama frowned as Hiei did nothing while Kuwabara struggled with the fire. The fire demon made no move to start it, and merely ignored Kuwabara. He exchanged a look with Yuusuke, who pulled out a lighter and used it to start the dried leaves mixed with the wood.

Yuusuke and Kuwabara ended up electing Kurama to cook the meal, and he did so, with Botan's help. He seemed to be the only one who noticed that Hiei ate nothing. This was becoming more and more worrisome. As darkness fell, the fire demon spoke up. "We will keep watch in pairs."

Yuusuke looked surprised. They'd never done that before. "But we'll be fine keeping watch the way we always do it! And we need to be well-rested!"

Hiei glared at him, then looked away. "Trust me, Yuusuke. We will keep watch in pairs."

Kurama exchanged a worried glance with Yuusuke, then looked up at Hiei, who was still perched in the tree. "We'll take first watch, then. Yuusuke and Kuwabara can take second. Botan, you can sleep the whole night, unless you wish to take watch with Yuusuke and Kuwabara." Hiei nodded almost imperceptively, and Kurama noticed that he seemed . . . relieved that Kurama had offered to keep watch with him. _But why?_

Yuusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan settled down for the night. When Kuwabara started snoring softly, Hiei spoke up again. "I brought wards with me. We should set them up around the camp, just in case."

Kurama was surprised. Hiei had never done that before, preferring to rely on his demon instincts. "Hiei-"

Hiei jumped down, pulling the borrowed bag from under his cloak. "Don't ask, Kurama. Just . . . don't." He took out the wards, then replaced the bag under his cloak and disappeared for a moment, reappearing a few seconds later. Instead of jumping back into the tree, he sat a few feet away from the redhead and stared into the fire.

They sat in companionable silence. "Hiei, why didn't you start the campfire?" Kurama asked after a while.

There was a short silence before the fire demon answered. "I don't want it relying on my ki . . ."

That surprised the fox. "Why?" Hiei shook his head and didn't answer. Kurama sighed. "Hiei, I'm worried about you. Why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

Hiei glanced at him briefly, then went back to staring into the fire. After a moment, he reached forward and touched the flames, then pulled back suddenly, as if burned. He looked surprised. "It's too early," he murmured. "It shouldn't be happening yet . . ."

Kurama moved forward, his eyes widening as he saw that Hiei's hand had been _burned_. "You're a fire demon, Hiei! Why-"

The wards suddenly fizzed and went up in flames. Hiei cursed and was on his feet in a flash, katana out and at the ready. Kurama reached into his hair. "Yuusuke, Kuwabara, Botan! We have company!" The three barely managed to reach their feet as a group of demons attacked.

Kurama slashed with his rose whip, dodging blasts of ki interspersed with spells. They had a mage with them. He cursed, taking note of how the other Tantei were doing as he moved. Botan was battling valiantly with her oar, bashing the few youkai that got past Yuusuke and Kuwabara, who were protecting her as they battled. Hiei was flitting around, dodging ki attacks and spells as well. Kurama frowned. He was going slower than he normally did, and he seemed to be slowing further.

Kurama concentrated on his fight as he very narrowly avoided an attack. These were trained youkai, obviously sent to destroy them by their enemy. The battle had begun, and they hadn't even reached the tower site.

His eyes widened as he heard a yell that he hadn't expected. _Hiei . . .?_ He slashed the demon he had been fighting and positioned himself so he could see what had happened, just in time to see Hiei fall, apparently hit by a ki attack. The demon he had been battling moved to finish him off and Kurama moved quickly. He was beaten there by Yuusuke's rei gan, which destroyed the offending demon.

He continued to move, reaching Hiei's unconscious form. "Get the supplies and retreat!" Kurama picked the fire demon up, confused by the fact that Hiei seemed lighter than usual. He disregarded it for the moment as he dodged another ki blast--someone had apparently taken out the mage, as there were no more spells being thrown about. This wasn't surprising as mages tended not to have the best defenses.

The redhead ran into the forest near Yuusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan, relieved as he felt them follow. He manipulated the plants behind them and the demons following them quickly fell behind. They ran for a long while, until they were completely certain that they weren't at risk of being found.

When they finally stopped, Kurama lowered Hiei to the ground. The fire demon was shuddering uncontrollably. What had he been hit with? "I need a light." There was a short pause as Yuusuke rummaged in his bag. After a moment, a flashlight clicked on, shining on Hiei's still form.

Kurama heard Kuwabara gasp. "His hair!"

The redhead stared in shock. Hiei's hair had turned the same light blue-turquoise as Yukina's hair. _What the . . .?_ "He may have been hit by a spell," Kurama said softly when he regained use of his voice.

"I took out the mage before he went down," Yuusuke whispered. "There's no way it was a spell."

Botan finally spoke. "Maybe . . . Maybe this is part of the reason he didn't want to come?"

Kurama moved forward, checking Hiei for injuries. He recoiled as he felt something soft that shouldn't be there. He checked his friend's ki and gasped.

Hiei was no longer a fire demon. He was now a true Koorime, gender included.

* * *

The reasoning behind this will be explained in the next chapter, whenever I get it out. ^^; And, yes, Hiei is female, and, yes, Kurama touched his breast.

Sorry this took so long to get out. As you noticed, I was concentrating on _Suicide_ for a while. I'm also working on some other things. School is about to start up tomorrow again, so I figured it'd be best to get this out while I still have time and energy.

Thank you for bearing with me as I take so long to update. Life is insane right now.


	3. Chapter Three

Half-Breed's Curse

by Rose Thorne

Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Studio Perriot, Shonen Jump, et al. I do not acknowledge FUNimation with anything but the destruction of the series.

* * *

_Chapter Three_  
"What's wrong?" Kuwabara asked. "Kurama?"

Hiei curled into a ball with a little moan. There was a large tear in the clothing on his back, revealing blood on white skin. He was still shaking and barely conscious.

Kurama didn't answer. "Get the first aid kit."

As Kuwabara rummaged through a bag, Kurama quickly removed Hiei's cloak, revealing the filled-out tank top Hiei was wearing beneath.

Yuusuke gasped and nearly dropped the flashlight. "He's a girl!"

"Yes." Kurama turned Hiei onto his stomach and checked the wound on the sanjiyan's back without removing the top. It was deep. "And his ki is ice instead of fire."

"Shit."

Kuwabara silently handed Kurama the first aid kid. Kurama took out some salve and began spreading it on the wound.

As soon as he touched the injury, Hiei regained consciousness and began to struggle. "No!"

"Hiei, you're injured. I'm trying to help."

Hiei's struggles died down. "Kurama?"

"Yes. Will you let me help?" Kurama was already spreading salve again.

Hiei jerked away, struggling again. "Get away!"

Kurama quickly grabbed a seed from his hair and grew a flower from it, then put it under Hiei's nose. The fire demon's struggles ceased.

"Kurama... What was that?" Botan looked concerned.

"Makai plant. Puts people to sleep." The redhead was busily working on Hiei's back. "Yuusuke, give Botan the flashlight and you and Kuwabara go set up camp. No fire this time. Leave the black bag and mine here."

"Right. C'mon Kuwabara." They tramped off.

"Botan, check the black bag. See if there's another shirt in there."

Botan held the flashlight in one hand and rummaged with the other. Finally she held up a white, kendo top. "There's an obi in here, too, but no bra."

Kurama stopped and blinked at her. "Huh?"

"We'll have to bind his breasts. Otherwise they'll hurt his back and get in his way. He's got at least a C cup."

Kurama winced. "We'd better do that while he's still unconscious." He quickly stripped off Hiei's tank top and bandaged the wound in his back.

"Sit him up. I found bandages to use."

"Right." Kurama gently moved Hiei into a sitting position, facing Botan.

"Hold his arms up, too." Botan worked quickly and effectively until she was satisfied. The result was almost like a bra. "And his pants are falling down."

"Tighten the belts, then."

Botan sighed. "Koenma told me I'd be useful on this mission, but I didn't think this was what he meant."

Kurama rolled his eyes. "Hand me the shirt and obi." He carefully dressed Hiei, looping the obi around his slender waist and securing it.

By that time, Botan had finished with all four of Hiei's belts. "We should join the boys."

Kurama nodded. "Grab the bags. I'll get Hiei."

* * *

Hiei didn't wake up for the rest of the night, barely moving under his cloak. When he _did_ wake, he threw the cloak off and scrambled toward a tree, only to miss the branch he was aiming for and fall painfully on the ground. He lay there, stunned.

Kurama carefully approached. "You okay?"

Hiei sat up slowly, looking embarrassed. "What happened?"

"Which part?" Yuusuke asked from a distance. "We got attacked, you collapsed and changed into a girl, and we ran."

Hiei flushed angrily. "After that."

Kurama sighed. "You were injured, but when I tried to help you, you panicked. So I sedated you and dressed your wound."

Botan piped up. "I helped with... the other stuff."

Hiei pointed to his chest. "This?"

Botan blushed. "Yeah."

The sanjiyan rose and stumbled slightly. "Why?"

"It, well, supports them. Otherwise they hurt the back."

Hiei considered this, then shrugged. He looked extremely uncomfortable, and avoided looking at the others.

"We have some breakfast fixed up. Come have some and we can talk," Kurama said softly.

Hiei looked up at him, and Kurama was startled by the suspicion and tense apprehension in his face.

He tried again. "We need to know what's going on so we can help you, Hiei."

The fire demon - ice demon walked past him and sat down by his cloak. Kurama handed him several pieces of fruit and sat down several feet away.

Kuwabara spoke up. "Why'd you turn into a girl?"

Hiei cringed. Kurama shook his head. "Kuwabara-kun, let him eat first. It's been a bad night."

"I can talk while I eat, Kurama. We need to move on soon, anyway." Hiei bit into the fruit. "I'm a half-breed, and this is the half-breed's curse. It's not so much that I turned into a girl as my aura switched."

"To ice," Kurama murmured.

Kuwabara scratched his head. "But you changed into a girl, too. Why?"

Hiei winced. "I'm half fire demon, but I'm also half... half Koorime. All women. So when this happens, I also become female."

Kuwabara frowned. "Wait. Half Koorime?"

Hiei didn't respond, taking another bite of his breakfast instead.

"You're Yukina's brother, aren't you?" The tone was accusatory. Then Kuwabara stared at him, confused. "Why-?"

"None of your business. I'm not justifying myself right now," Hiei interrupted softly. "And you wouldn't listen anyway."

Kuwabara glared, but Kurama smoothly cut him off. "How often does this happen?"

Hiei shrugged. "About every thirty-four years or so. I checked it out, and it's something about two planets in opposition and lunar eclipses. Celestial cycles."

Botan frowned. "So how long does it last?"

"About a month. Worst part about it is I can't figure out how to use the ki."

Kuwabara snorted. "You should ask Yukina."

Hiei laughed harshly. "You're forgetting that she's a half-breed, too. I doubt she could help me right now."

Kurama sighed. "Can't you figure it out on your own?"

The sanjiyan flinched slightly. "Maybe, but I've never had the opportunity. Generally not being able to use my ki has meant I get captured. Especially since I don't know exactly when the change will happen. I was only able to do research on the change this time around."

"Captured for what?" Kuwabara asked hesitantly.

He looked away. "Tear gems, female body, slavery. If I couldn't escape during the month, when I changed the wards they used were worthless. And I killed whoever held me captive."

"That's terrible!" Botan looked horrified. Yuusuke and Kuwabara looked shocked as well. Only Kurama seemed to take the information in stride.

Hiei shook his head. "Part of living in the Makai, being youkai."

Yuusuke scowled. "So that's why the threat Koenma made freaked you out." Hiei didn't answer, but that told them enough. "Oh, he's going to get a nice little talking to when we get back."

"Doesn't matter." Hiei finished off a fruit. "I'm stuck here. Maybe I can figure things out along the way. Otherwise I'll be pretty worthless in battle. Can't even use the Jagan."

Kuwabara shook his head. "You're good with a sword."

"Not in this body," Hiei replied shortly. "My body moves differently, like the center's off a bit. I think it's the breasts, but the hips are weird, too. And the breasts are too big. They flop around."

Kuwabara and Yuusuke blushed deeply. "Too much information," Yuusuke managed.

Hiei rolled his eyes. Botan giggled. "Hiei, the binding should help with the first. And I'm sure along the way you can spar a bit to get used to the differences."

"In any case, we should get moving," Hiei said. "The fight last night means they're looking for us around here." He got up unsteadily and shoved the remaining fruit in his pocket. As the others packed up, he turned to Kurama. "Do you have any elemental wards? Or can you fix some up?"

Kurama frowned. "Elemental wards? I could, but why?"

Hiei held up his right arm, and Kurama noticed with alarm that it was smoking slightly. "It's the dragon. Fire and ice don't mix. The elemental ward should... do something..." He looked away.

"Oh, Hiei. Why did you get that move if you knew this would happen?" Kurama went through his bag, looking for the proper supplies.

"If I hadn't, I wouldn't have survived the tournament."

Kurama pulled out some ward paper and extra bandages and wrote on it, instilling some ki in the paper. "I'm making it fire specific, so it won't hamper you." He moved forward to attach the ward, and Hiei backed away slightly before letting him.

After that was taken care of, Hiei stuffed his cloak into the black bag and shouldered it. Kuwabara handed him his katana, and he attached it to his back as well.

They headed out toward the center of the forest.

* * *

Um, yeah. Referring to Hiei as "he" because Hiei is, ultimately, male. Physical sex doesn't matter. Plus he'd probably hunt me down and murder me if I called him "she." shifty eyes

As you'll notice, this chapter is mostly expository.

I did a lot of research for this chapter. Mainly on astrology. After all, the cause of Hiei's transformation is celestial in nature (if you hold with the InuYasha moon bullshit). So what better place to look than astrology? I quickly found that Scorpio is associated with fire (specifically volcanic fire) and attached to Pluto. Capricorn is associated with ice and attached to Saturn. Not only that, but Pluto is associated with transformation, while Saturn is associated with structure and boundaries!

So what is the relationship between Saturn and Pluto, according to astrologers? Well, the Saturn-Pluto opposition (with Saturn lining up between Earth and Pluto), happens every 33-35 years. It is supposedly a time of turmoil and transformation. One of the big theories is that 9-11 could be predicted by the Saturn-Pluto opposition that was going on at the time.

Of course, the line-up takes place for a full six months, which is not what I wanted. But a little research discovered that lunar eclipses take place about a month apart. And lunar eclipses signify a tug of war, of sorts.

Thus, Hiei's transformation occurs every 33-35 years during the Saturn-Pluto opposition, starting at one lunar eclipse and ending at another, for about a month.

I also had to do research on breast-binding as an alternative to bras. Don't ask.

Two updates in two days. Excuse me while I hide in my bunker.


	4. Chapter Four

Half-Breed's Curse

**Half-Breed's Curse**

by Rose Thorne

Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Studio Perriot, Shonen Jump, et al. I do not acknowledge FUNimation with anything but the destruction of the series.

--

_Chapter Four_

They had only been moving a few hours, but Hiei was lagging badly. They slowed down, but it wasn't helping. Kurama didn't understand it; Hiei probably had more stamina than any of them, but now he wasn't able to keep up. The fact that he was sweating through his shirt was slightly more worrying.

Yuusuke glanced at Kurama, and the redhead nodded. "Break," Yuusuke said.

Kuwabara sat down. "Good. How long have we been moving?"

"Three hours," Botan said, checking her watch.

Kurama moved toward Hiei, who was leaning against a tree and trying not to breathe heavily. "What's wrong," he asked softly.

The youkai wiped sweat from his brow, looking irritated. "It's hot. And these damned hips make walking difficult."

"Ride with Botan, then."

Hiei glared at him. "I'll manage."

Kurama sighed. "Look, Hiei, I know it damages your pride, but you're slowing us down. Besides, if you keep this up you're going to make yourself sick, and then you'll really be embarrassed."

Hiei looked away. "Fine."

Kurama handed Hiei a canteen. "Sit down and rest for a bit."

His friend scowled at him, but obeyed. The redhead settled beside him, and Hiei scooted away from him slightly. That stung.

"I'm not going to rape you, you know," Kurama muttered sullenly as Hiei drank from the canteen. His words evidently surprised Hiei, and the fire demon coughed as the water went down the wrong way. "And I'm offended that you seem to think I would take advantage of you like that. I thought you trusted me more than this."

"It's not like that," Hiei hissed, his eyes wide. "It's... like I've been warded. And unless you're damned lucky you know exactly how that feels."

That surprised Kurama. "You have no access to your youki at all?"

Hiei looked away. "Basically."

"Basically?"

"It's ice." The words were a frustrated whisper.

Kurama suddenly realized the problem. Normally to Hiei, with his fiery essence, ice could easily mean death, and nearly had just after his birth. "You're afraid of your youki?"

"Kisama!" Hiei growled, standing suddenly and throwing the canteen at him. "This conversation is over." He stalked toward the others.

The youko let him go, frowning. He wasn't sure how to help Hiei, or if Hiei could overcome this in the first place. The youkai wasn't exactly skilled when it came to psychological battles, probably in part because he was a mess inside. And it was starting to look as though his physiology mirrored it.

--

Twilight found them still traipsing through the forest looking for a relatively safe place to set up camp, this time with the tower much closer. They had eventually found camp in the form of a defensible rocky area with plenty of cover. It had been a long day, and they were all exhausted. Even so, the only person who would be getting a full night of sleep was Botan, as Hiei insisted that he could keep watch even if he couldn't fight.

As with the night before, they had decided to have two people on duty, though Yuusuke had insisted that he and Kuwabara would take first watch and they had all agreed that there would be no fire. The teen looked concerned about Hiei, Kurama had noted, which wasn't at all surprising given that the youkai looked strained and exhausted.

Hiei, for his part, hadn't argued or even commented, eating what Kurama grew for them in silence and shortly afterward fell so deeply asleep that he didn't even stir when Kurama grew a cushion of moss under and around him, then settled a few feet away to sleep as well.

Later, after Yuusuke woke him, Kurama noted that his friend was still curled in the same position. He seriously considered leaving Hiei to sleep through the night, but he knew the youkai would not appreciate the gesture.

It only took a gentle touch to the shoulder to wake Hiei. The youkai tensed briefly before realizing his surroundings and sitting up.

"Our watch?" he asked gruffly.

Kurama nodded. "I was tempted to just let you sleep," he admitted.

"Good thing you didn't. I need to get used to fighting in this damned body. Can't do that while we're hiking. It's cooler at night anyway."

There was Hiei's practicality. "And the youki?"

Hiei glowered at him. "Drop it."

And it was gone. Kurama shrugged, closing his eyes and allowing his senses to spread through the forest, turning their surroundings into an alarm.

By the time he opened his eyes, Hiei had brought out his katana and was doing simple katas, his movements slow and unsteady. The youkai corrected his stance and rebalanced himself before running through them again a little faster. He continued his repetitions, speeding up each time until he was satisfied with his balance. By that point, he was sweating and breathing heavily.

Kurama handed him a canteen when he sat down, and the sanjiyan took it gratefully, leaning back and draining it.

"Getting used to it?"

Hiei sighed. "There are a lot of differences. The hips have a different way of moving. I can't walk the way I normally do. And the wrists are more flexible as well, which might be a problem. I'm not going to be able to fight very well." He shook his head. "I don't know why that brat thought I'd be able to help."

"He probably felt he had no choice."

"There's always a choice." Hiei hesitated for a moment, then admitted, "There's a distinct possibility that I'll be a liability on this mission."

Kurama frowned at him for a moment before responding. "Unless you get over the problem with your youki." Most people would have backed off at the glare Hiei leveled at him, but the fox was unfazed. "I know you prefer not to have to rely on anyone."

Hiei looked away. "It's not a simple thing, Kurama."

"I'm well aware of that. Normally embracing ice youki would kill you. And I have no doubt that your past with the Koorime only complicates your instinct to stay away from it."

Hiei threw the canteen at him, this time without malice. "Why do you insist on poking your nose into my business?"

"Because I'm your friend and you're in trouble."

The youkai was silent for a moment. "You're an idiot," he finally muttered, and rose to go back to his katas.

--

If you're looking for someone to blame for getting me back into writing this, blame Bluegrass Elf. She's the one who wrote some damned good ficlets that made me want to write fanfiction. Of course, I _SHOULD_ be revising one of my short stories and prepping it to be sent out to literary magazines, or writing new short stories from the multitude of plot bunnies sitting on my computer, in my notebooks, and in my head, but I had writers block anyway, so I guess I can thank Blue for ending it. Go read her fanfiction and harass her into finishing "Where Is Your Heart?" for me.

No, this probably doesn't mean I'm back. My god does grad school take up a ton of time, and teaching college freshmen how to write certainly doesn't help. Yes, I'm a teacher now, with students calling me "Professor" even though I'm not. Fear my power!


End file.
